Pollution Control District Allows Farmers, Ranchers to Burn Debris

Ventura County’s farmers and ranchers Monday took advantage of ideal weather conditions and permission from the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District that allowed them to burn tree trimmings and other debris for the first time in weeks.

Farmers use the permissible burn days to dispose of tons of tree clippings and other debris cleared from orchards and farms, said Tom Pecht, president of the Ventura County Farm Bureau board of directors.

“If we don’t burn them, they have to be hauled away commercially and put into dumps, and that’s not economical for farming and it doesn’t help the landfills,” said Pecht, who farms 130 acres of lemons and avocados.

“There’s no economic alternative,” he said.

Pecht said it would help farmers if they were allowed to burn more often.

“They don’t coincide with the cycles of farming, and when burning needs to be done,” Pecht said. “We don’t usually have them during the summertime, and burning needs to be done then also.”

Thirty-four area farmers and ranchers have ongoing permission to conduct the controlled burns, but each must seek secondary approval on the day they intend to burn debris, the Ventura County Fire Department said.

“It’s very clear, and we have a little breeze,” Fire Department dispatcher Vicki Crabtree said Monday. “It’s a perfect burn day.”

The air pollution district, which determines whether to allow the Fire Department to approve individual burns, said conditions Monday permitted burns anywhere in the county.

“There tends to be very few during the summer because the (smoke) dispersion conditions just aren’t there,” said Douglas Tubbs, manager of air monitoring. “This time of year, you’ll start to see more.”

Monday, the first burn day since Sept. 1, saw small controlled burns emitting smoke throughout various portions of the county. There have been 27 allowable burn days so far this year, Tubbs said.

Burns are not permitted today, the district announced.

CARLOS CHAVEZ / Los Angeles Times